Icarus (2010 film)

On August 8, 2008, it was reported that Dolph Lundgren had signed a contract with Insight Film Studios, a Canadian-based production company, to direct and star in Icarus, a "$6 million action thriller". Kirk Shaw, the president/executive producer of Insight Film, arranged for Lundgren to be flown into the country for dinner. After scouting filming locations and meeting with a "local scriptwriter", the "deal was sealed".[1]

Samantha Ferris was cast as Kerr, a role originally written for a male actor. No alterations were made to the script, and Ferris described her character as being "kind [of] half guy, half girl".[4]

Principal photography began in October, 2008.[1] Shot entirely in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,[3] filming was expected to last "about" five weeks,[1] but reportedly wrapped after 18 days.[5] According to Ferris, Lundgren had a "strong concept" and "vision" about how he wanted the film to be.[4]

"First look" images from the film set emerged in early July, 2009. This coincided with the release of a teaser poster and teaser trailer later the same month.[6][7][8] The official trailer was released a year later on July 23, 2010.[9] In an effort to promote the film's DVD release, "two behind the scenes featurettes" were published beforehand. In them, Lundgren discusses his role as an actor and director, how he prepares for filming action scenes, and how he trains prior to performing any stunts.[10]

At the 2008 Cannes Film Market, CineTel Films acquired the international distribution rights to Icarus. According to the president and CEO of Cinetel Films, Paul Hertzberg, the "strong sales response Icarus received at [the Cannes Film Market reflected] the film's potential to be a hit among audiences around the world".[3]

On August 16, 2010, the film was distributed on Blu-ray and DVD in the United Kingdom by Anchor Bay Films,[11] followed by the United States on October 19.[12]

On February 9, 2010, the worldwide premiere took place on Canadian television. This was followed by a limited theatrical release in a number of countries, including: the United States (on September 10, 2010), the United Arab Emirates (on October 28), Bahrain (on November 25), Oman (on December 2), and Kuwait (on December 16).[13]

Lundgren in July, 2010

Box office data is only available for the film's performance in the United Arab Emirates. In its first week of release in the UAE, the film debuted in sixth place and grossed $56,475 at the box office ($4,034 per screening). In the second week of release, the film dropped to nineteenth place and grossed a further $1,350 ($338 per screening). This was down 97 percent from the film's opening weekend. In its third and final week of release, gross profits went down a further 89 percent; the film dropped to twenty-sixth place and grossed $139 from one theater showing.[14] By the end of its theatrical run, Icarus grossed a total of $72,643 at the UAE box office.[2]

Icarus received mixed reviews from film critics.[15][16][11] Jason Rugaard, of Movie Mavericks, awarded three out of four stars, praising the action scenes and choreography. Even though the film "[earned] its R rating" through violence, he enjoyed the "quieter moments that allowed the actors to shine". According to him, Lundgren has "matured into a subtle actor with an intriguing screen presence", and his "confidence as a filmmaker" has enabled him to appear in "better productions than [would] normally be the case". He summarized his review by "warning" readers of the "mystifying and miscalculated final shot" that "nearly [destroyed] the entire film".[15]

Eoin Friel, of The Action Elite, awarded three out of five stars. He praised the film's pace; as well as the violence, and described the acting as "decent". However, he criticized the film for being "poorly shot"; citing the "unnecessary" shaking of the camera and the "annoying" slow motion, which "ruins a lot of the action scenes". He "wasn't a fan" of the ending either, which - according to him - was "too abrupt" and was "left open for a potential sequel that will likely never happen".[16]

David Brook, of Rowthree, awarded two and a half stars out of five. "Unpretentious trash" is what he expected, and the film delivered "for the most part". He felt the action scenes were "frantically (but not overly) edited" and enjoyable, and went as far as calling the film gory; "even for an action movie". He noted the film spends a "lot of time" showing Edward Genn and his family; "which doesn't really work at all". The dialogue was "borderline parody" and the acting was "atrocious". According to Brook, Icarus is "not a film to analyse, just one to sit back and enjoy with a beer or two and a bunch of [friends]".[11]

Chris Wright, of What Culture, was very critical of the film. He compared the opening titles to that of a "bad American tv show" and a "dodgy" video game, and felt the narration throughout was "mostly pointless and full of obvious, clichéd philosophies". For the "most part", Lundgren "spends his time mumbling" throughout the film "while pouting and posturing moodily through his scenes", with "no real change there either". Despite giving a primarily negative review, Wright stated the "overall quality of the [film] is very good for [a direct-to-dvd] release".[5]